Cooperative Education

Lead an impactful life

“We have students working at foundations, nonprofits, successful businesses and companies and looking at what that feels like out in the world — being a part of a real team, making purposeful projects come to reality.”

— Luisa Bieri Rios, Assist. Prof. of Cooperative Education

Antioch College promotes meaningful engagement with the world through intentional linkages between campus-centered and field-based experiential learning. For nearly a century, a central component of Antioch’s progressive education model has been its flagship Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program.

By linking the life of the mind with professional engagement, Co-op animates a unique liberal arts curriculum that positions students to take action in a variety of diverse settings. Students have opportunities to engage with numerous partner organizations as they learn to navigate complex work environments, communicate publicly, and experiment with solution-oriented approaches to social change.

All Antioch students spend up to a third of their academic program—a minimum of three academic terms—engaged in the kinds of full-time work, research, or self-directed learning enterprises that have earned Antioch co-op students an international reputation for creativity, industriousness, and ingenuity.

At the core of the Co-op experience is professional engagement—meaningful work in challenging settings where students generally can expect reasonable compensation for their contributions. Not only do Antioch students graduate with an outstanding education, an impressive resume, and compelling stories of co-op adventure in distant locales, they gain exposure to innovative workplaces and discover their unique talents as they apply themselves to real problems in the world.

How it works

Field experience lies at the heart of cooperative education; however, developing a sense of inquiry, reflecting on lessons learned through experience, and engaging in dialogue on the ideas that emerge are essential components of the co-op learning cycle. In order to meet the Co-op requirement necessary for graduation, all students are required to complete three approved field experiences and pass three Cooperative Education field courses (12 credits each) with a grade of C. Students enroll in these by registering for the appropriate Cooperative Education course that is offered at the time they engage in their co-op term, as determined by fulfillment of both the co-requisite and any prerequisites identified. They thus are expected to earn a minimum of thirty-six Cooperative Education credits required for graduation.

Students have completed their co-ops throughout the United States and in the following countries: